Moistening mechanism



Dec. 30, 1941. R. F. MORRISON MOISTENING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1939' 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ObCa/ZZ'C ffor/uso/z/ M ATTORNEYS.

' R. F. MORRISON MOISTENING MECHANISM Dec, 30, 1941.

Filed July 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR! FNH I IHH M P .N

J/ob @mff 1V0 777/1507),

ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1941 ICE v MOISTENING MECHANISM Robert F.

Mor rison, Oak Park, 111.,

assignor to Ditto, Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of West Virginia Application July 20, 1939, Serial No. 285,492 (01. 91-48) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to moistening mechanisms, being particularly designed for use in connection with liquid process duplicating niachines for the application of a solvent upon a roller employed for feeding copy sheets into the machine so as to apply a thin film of the solvent to the face of each copysheet in turn as it moves forwardly. It is the object of the invention to provide a new and improved form and arrangement of parts by which improved results shall be attained.

. In the construction illustrated, the means for applying the solvent to the roller and for. distributing the solvent over the face of the roller includes a strip or pad of felt or the like, to-

be moved smoothly and easily into operative position in engagement with the roller without danger of turning up an edge or corner of the pad as it moves into operative position or of otherwise displacing the pad from its smooth even arrangement on the supporting parts. For accomplishing this purpose, the supporting plate by which the pad is carried, in the arrangement shown, has been provided with mounting arms in substantially spaced relation rearwardly with respect to the pad and extending downwardly some little distance below the lower edge of the pad, which arms are pivotally mounted in position at their lower ends, the arrangement being such that when the supporting plate and the pad thereon are swung forwardly and upwardly the pad is moved into contact with the roller without any substantial wiping engagement either with the roller or with the plate which limits the forward movement of the pad at its upper edge portion, the arrangement being'such that the movement of the pad into operative position has no tendencyto disarrange the pad on the supporting plate.

This invention involves also a new and improved arrangement of spring means for pressing the pad against the face of the roller, whereby access can be hadto the parts for an adjustment of the effective strength of the springs for controlling the degree of pressure of the pad on the roller.

' It is another object of this invention to improve devices of this type in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means'by which the several objects have been accomplished are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through the preferred form of structure, with some of the parts shown diagrammatically, the view being substantially a section at line |l of Fig. 45;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but with certain of the parts in changed position, being substantially a vertical sectional view taken at the line 2-2 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of certain of the parts as shown at the left in Fig. 4, with some of the parts omitted and other parts broken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 4 is a front face view of the parts as shown inFig. 1, with some of the frame parts added and with some of the parts shown in vertical section; and i Fig. 5 is a front face view of the parts as shown in Fig. 2, with frame parts added and with some of the parts broken away for clearness of illustration.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, in which corresponding parts are in dicated by the same referencecharacters, l0 indicates a drum rotatably mounted by means of a heavy shaft II which is rotatably mounted in a suitable framework I2. Below the drum Ill, there is an impression roller l3 rotatably mounted inposition by means of a shaft M as is usual in duplicating-machines of this type. At a short distancein rear of the platen or impression roller l3, two rollers l5 and I6 are rotatably mounted in cooperative relation to each other for feeding a copy sheet toward the right in Figs. 1 and 2 into engagement between the drum l0 and the platen 13. In the arrangement shown, the rollers l5 and iii are supported by shafts l1 and I8 respectively, the shaft 11 to be driven at the same surface speed as that of the drum- I 0. In rear of the feed rollers l5 and It, a table I9 is provided having side guide plates 20 and a top guide plate 2| thereon for directing sheets of paper to the bite of the rollers I5 and I6. .1

The means for applying a film of solvent up on the face of the roller I 5 comprises a strip solvent being sprayed on the pad' from a pipe 23 fixedly mounted in position and having a series of openings 24 through its wall, as indicated in Fig. 5. In the arrangement shown, the solvent is delivered to the pipe 23 by means of a second pipe 25 positioned inside of the pipe 23, the pipe 25 being connected by a flexible pipe 26 with any suitable source of solvent under pressure. As is shown in Fig. 5, the pipe 25 is provided with openings 21 for the escape of the solvent therefrom into the interior of the pipe 23. In the arrangement shown, the openings2'4 in the pipe 23 are directed toward the pad 22 so as to spray the solvent directly on the pad.

The means for supporting the absorbent pad 22 in operative position as shown in Fig. 1 in engagement with the roller I5, or alternatively in changed position as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a supporting member for the pad in. the form of a channel bar 28 formed of sheet metal, having a iiange 2-9 at its bottom face and a flange 30tat the top. At an intermediate point vertically in the channel 28, I have provided an angle .bar 3| fixedly mounted in position with its free edge out out at intervals so as to provide tongues 32 in spaced relation therealong, .the pad 22 being provided with slits or open- ,Iings '33 therealong for the reception of the tongues32 whereby the pad .22 is held firmly in position and is at the same time readily removable when desired. In the arrangement shown, a yielding pad 34 preferably of sponge rubber is provided as a backing for the absorbent pad 22, the pad 34 likewise being provided with slits ,or openings 35 in spaced relation to each other therealong for reception of the tongues 32.

In the construction illustrated, the channel member 28 is provided with downwardly extending arms36 at its opposite ends which areoffset ,outwardly, as is clearly shown in Fig. 4, for clearing the table l9. At their lower ends, the arms 36 are pivotally connected by means of rivets 31 with the lower end portions of plates 38 which are in turn pivotally mounted at their upper end portions upon lugs 39 extending inwardly from the frame bars |2, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the plates as being likewise offset outwardly, as is best shown in Fig.

so as to correspond substantially to the form of the arms 36. At their intermediate points, the plates .38 are provided with lugs 40. which inlthe arrangement shown are formed integrally with the plates; and bent into transverse position, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

. For applying pressure upon the pivotally mounted members 38 at a .point below the .pivotal axis upon which the plates are mounted upon the lugs 39, arms 4| are provided pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon brackets 42 extending inwardly from the frame members 12, :such arms 4| being mounted in positionby means of rivets 43. At their upper .ends, the arms 4| are provided with transversely extending lugs 44 in position to bear against the rear faces of the lugs 40 respectively, as is best shown inFig. '3. For applying yielding pressure forwardly upon the arms 4|,'links 45 are provided pivotally mounted by means of pins 'or rivets 46 upon the'inner faces of the brackets 42 (see Fig. '3'), the links 45 having their forward ends extending through openings 41 inJthe lugs '44 of thej'armsf4l (see Fig. 5). Upon the rear ends of the links, 45,;coiled springs '48 are mounted .gagement with the latch parts 52.

bearing at their front ends upon the lugs 44 and at their rear ends upon thumb-nuts 49 mounted by means of screw-threads upon the free ends of said links 45. The arrangement is such that the pressure of the springs 48 is applied forwardly upon the arms 4|, thence forwardly upon the lugs .40 and the plates 38 so as to swing such plates 38 in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 2 to the limit of their motion for pressing the absorbent pad 22 against the face of the roller I5, as shown in Fig. 1. As will be readily understood, the efiective strength of the springs 48 can be regulated by an adjustment of the thumb-nuts 49 upon the links 45, such adjustment being effected readily and quickly as may be desirable.

For holding the pad supporting member 28 in its raised position as shown in Fig. 1, latch levers 50 have been provided pivotally mounted upon the plates 38 by means of rivets 5|, as is best shown in Fig. 2, the latch lever 50 being shown in two different vpositionsin said figure. The arrangement of the levers 50 is such that latches 52 forming parts of the levers 50 are adapted to engage pins 53 extending outwardly at the ends of the supporting member 28 (see Fig. 5) for holding the supporting member and the pad 22 in upright position as shown in Figs. .1 and 4. The arrangement is such that when the levers 58 are moved from the position as shown in dotted lines to the position as shown in solid lines in said figure, the pins 53 and the supporting member 28 therewith are moved by the levers 50 toward the rear for carrying the absorbent pad 22 out of engagement with the roller .|.5.' Upon continued movement of the pad 22 toward thefleft in said figure, it is swun downwardly into the position as shown in the drawings so as to provide easy access to the pad for adjustment .or replacement. When the supporting member 28 is swung upwardly and toward the right in said Fig. 2 for being brought again into latching engagement with the levers 150, the pins 53 are brought into camming engagement with triangular projections 54 so .as

to displace the levers by such camming action :for permitting the pins 53 to have operative en- At the end of the upward swinging movement of the support .28, the pins 53 engage downwardly extending arms 50a of the levers 50 for moving the levers into latching position. 5

In the arrangement shown, the plates 38 are connected together by means of transversely extending bars 55 and 56 which are formed integrally with said plates in slightly spaced re- :lation to each other, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Between the bars 55 and 56, the pipes 23 and '25 are fixedly mounted in position so as to "be supported by said plates 38. Between the pipe 25 and the drum 10, a shield 51 of sheet metal is mounted fixedly in position so as to prevent splashing of the water upon the drum |0 or-the-partscarried thereby.

By reason of the arrangement as shown in which the plates 38 are pivotally mounted upon an axis at a higher level 'thanthe roller l5 and the supporting member 28 is pivotally mounted upon an axis located at a lower level than the roller H, the lower edge portion of the pad 22 in its movementinto operative position as shown in Fig. 1 .is kept entirely out of contact with the bars 55 and 5B and is brought into engagement with the rear face of the roller ,|5 without any substantial wiping or scraping eflect by the pad upon said roller. As a result of this construction, the pad 22 is moved smoothly and easily into engagement with the roller without any tendency for the lower edge of the pad to be forced upwardly or to be bent upon itself in any way so as to have a tendency to change the shape of the pad, with the result that the pad 22 can be used for a considerable period before it is necessary to replace it with a new pad. When such replacement is necessary, the supporting member 28 can be quickly and easily dropped into the position as shown in Fig. 2,\

the table l9 and its connected parts being first removed fromthe machine. When it is desired for any reason to adjust the effective strength of the springs 48, this can be accomplished by i a rotary movement of the thumb-nuts 49 without the necessity for any other or further adjustment or manipulation of any of the parts.

While the form and arrangement of parts as shown and as above described are preferred, the invention is not to be limited to the arrangement shown except so far as the claims may be so limited, it being understood that changes might well be made in the construction illustrated without departing from the invention.

I claim: v

1. In a moistening mechanism, the combinae tion ,of a roller rotatably mountedon a transverse horizontal axis, two members pivotally mounted opposite to each other on a transverse horizontalaxis at a higher level than that of the roller and extendingdownwardly beyond. the I roller, an absorbent pad, supporting means for said pad pivotally mounted on said first-named pivotally mounted members on a transverse horizontal axis at a lower level than that of the roller so as to be enabled to swing said pad into and out of engagement with the roller with substantially no movement of the pad circumferentially of the roller when in contact therewith,

links pivotally mounted in position opposite in ,termediate portions of said first-named pivotally mounted members, and means comprising coiled springs adjustably carried by said links adapted by pressure on said first-named pivotally mounted members below the axis on which they are pivotally mounted to press said pad firmly against the face of the roller.

2. In a moistening mechanism, the combination of a roller rotatably mounted on a transverse horizontal axis, two members pivotally mounted opposite to each other on a transverse horizontal axis at a higher level than that of the roller and extending downwardly I beyond the roller, an absorbent pad, supporting means for said pad pivotally mounted on said first-named pivotally mounted members on a transverse horizontal axis at a lower level than that of the roller so as to be enabled to swing said pad into and out of engagement with the roller with' substantially no movement of the pad circumferentially of the roller when in contact therewith, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said firstnamed pivotally mounted members so as to bear on saidfirst-named pivotally mounted members, and adjustable yielding means for pressing said arms toward saidroller for applying pressure on said pad through said first-named pivotally mounted members and said supporting means for pressing the pad firmly against the face of the roller.

3. In a moistening mechanism, the combination of a roller rotatably mounted on a transverse horizontal axis, two members pivotally mounted opposite to eachother on a transverse horizontal axis at a higher level than that of pivotally mounted members on a transverse horizontal axis at a lower level than that of the roller so as to be enabled to swing said pad into and out of engagement withthe roller with substantially no movement of the pad circumferentially of the roller when in contact therewith, arms pivotally mounted adjacent to said firstnamed pivotally mounted members so as to bear on said first-named pivotally mounted members, links pivotally mounted in position so as to extend loosely through openings in said arms, coiled springs on said links, and means adjustably mounted on said links so as to cause said springs to press said arms toward said roller for applying pressure on said pad through said firstnamed pivotally mounted members and said supporting means for pressing the pad firmly against the face of the roller.

4. In a moistening mechanism, the combination of a frame, a roller rotatably mounted on a transverse horizontal axis on said frame, two

members pivotally mounted at opposite ends of the roller on a transverse horizontal axis at a higher level'than that of the roller, an absonbent pad extending across between said pivotally mounted members so as to swing with said members toward and from the face of the roller, two

springs mounted on said links and bearing on said arms serving normally to press said pad against said roller, and means for adjusting said springs on said links for controlling the pressure of the pad on the roller.

ROBERT F. MORRISON. 

